Strong words from Courier

Roger Federer seems to be enjoying himself at the U.S. Open, enjoying the crowd’s support and the thrill of a five-set win (over Igor Andreev), something he rarely had to face in the past. He’s not the same player we’ve come to revere, though, dating back to the start of the year when a bout of mononucleosis triggered a string of sub-par performances.

The general assumption has been that Federer made a full recovery, but former tour great Jim Courier isn’t buying it. “Let’s all step back, take a deep breath and admit that Federer is still sick,” the USA Network analyst told espn.com yesterday. “Watch him move. Watch a tape from last year. You don’t lose a step at 27 years old, but he’s lost a good half-step. If I were him, I wouldn’t talk about it, either.”

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Having watched Federer’s epic Wimbledon final against Rafal Nadal up close, I’m a bit stunned by Courier’s assessment, but there’s nothing flighty or irresponsible about Courier. He really knows his stuff. Yet another reason why the world of tennis needs Federer vs. Nadal, one more time, in Sunday’s final.